


Forbidden love

by YukiYaoiLove3



Category: Ed Edd n Eddy, kevedd - Fandom
Genre: Fluff and Smut, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-28
Updated: 2015-07-26
Packaged: 2018-02-27 06:45:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2683127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YukiYaoiLove3/pseuds/YukiYaoiLove3
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>kevin and Edd take a journey through life and experience what it means to love. but life is not always paradise....</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. intro.

~=Kevin’s POV =~

TICK  
TOCK  
TICK  
TOCK

That was the sound that rang through my ears. More like pounded in my ears as I watched the clock. It was the last period of the day, I should be happy right? Wrong. I couldn’t sit still, the sound of the teacher yammering away annoyed the hell out of me, and it was so cold in the classroom that I felt like I was going to freeze solid before I got out of there. It was Wednesday which meant there would be practice after school. Now that was a good and a bad thing. Good because no matter how cold it was, practice always warmed me down to my bones. But bad because I don’t get to go home right away and enjoy the hot coco that my mom was surly making for dad right now.

TICK  
TOCK  
TICK  
TOCK

That damn sound keeps pounding in my ears. One of these days, it's going to drive me insane. I put my head down to try to tune it out, but just as I did, I heard the final bell ring in my ears. Oh sweet mercy, thank god! I shoved all of my books and papers into my bag, got up from my seat and bolted out the door. I could hear the teacher complaining about still having something to say, but I could really care less. As soon as I was in the hall I made a bee line for my locker. I threw the stuff I didn’t need inside and grabbed the stuff I would no doubt need for homework that night, even though I knew trying to do my calculus homework was probably be a waste of time because I didn’t understand a damn word of it! I put what I needed in my bag and quickly made my way to the locker rooms for practice. I arrived a few minutes before the rest of the guys. I liked being the first one there mostly because it gave me a few minutes of silence before the entire team came barreling in and giving me a headache. They were all practically brothers to me but they knew how to push my buttons when they wanted to. Especially Nat.  
“OH, KEVIN!!!”  
Speak of the devil. That obnoxiously loud voice rings against the tiled walls of the locker rooms and echoes twice as loud in my ears. I sighed softly then cringed and nearly fell over when the teal haired boy jumped onto my back. He didn't weight much more than what I'm used to, but it was enough to make me stumble from the sudden impact.  
“Hey there Kevin I figured I would find ya’ here” he flashed me his usual obnoxious bright smile as I looked back at him.  
“Yeah, yeah I’m here now get off me," I said as he laughed. I stood up straight and tried to toss him off my back. He pouted and got off my back. I couldn’t help but smile, no matter how annoying he could be, he was closer to me than anyone else on the team. I really couldn’t stay mad at him for long.  
“So, I hear you are having trouble in your calculus class, as usual. And I don't think I need to play teacher and remind you that if you don’t pull that up, the coach is going to suspend you from games. Hell, he might even pull you from the team all together!” Nat looked at me, his smile had faded as he said those words, and that was enough to drive the words home and make me actually consider them.  
“I know, man, but the class is so damn hard and I just don’t get anything. The teacher just blabbers on about it!” I pulled off my hat and ran my hand through my hair, trying to think of a way to get my grade up in the class, which for me was probably impossible.  
“Why don’t you ask for help, isn’t there someone in the class who can help,” Nat asked, shifting from the bench to stand in front of his locker.  
“The only person I can think of who could help me out is…” I paused, I knew the only person who could help me but asking him would probably not end well.  
Nat raised his brow but then his face lit up when he realized who I meant. “You mean that little gap-toothed cutie?” I cringed slightly at his words  
“His name is Double D,” I sighed and gripped my hair again. Yeah, he could easily help me but the question was would he help me. I had bullied him when we were kids and he was probably still afraid of me.  
“More like double delicious,” Nat chuckled as I punched his arm. I could hear the thundering footsteps of the rest of the team on their way in as I finished getting ready for practice.  
As I made my way out onto the field to wait for the rest of the team I could see the coach standing by the bench along the sideline. He glanced at me and waved before jerking his head over his shoulder towards the field. I knew what that meant quite well; ‘get your ass out there!’. The rest of the team slowly made their way out onto the field to join me in the warm up routine. Nat smirked at me, and I knew he was still thinking about Double D being my tutor. I groaned and set my mind to practice mode as he stood next to me.  
Practice ended early due to the lower than normal temperatures and coach urged us all to call for a ride. Since my parent’s car broke down, I had no choice but to walk home. I waved goodbye to Nat and began my walk for home. I shivered softly from the cold as I walked along the sidewalk. I wasn’t paying attention when a door opened suddenly on my right and someone walked out right in front of me. We bumped into each other, me stumbling back and them falling.  
“Shit! I’m sorry here let me help-,” I stretched out my hand and quickly lost my train of thought as I recognized the person sitting on the ground in front of me.


	2. Edd's lucky run in

~=Edd’s POV=~  
I felt something, maybe a freight train or maybe someone built like a brick wall, bump into me. The force was enough to send me flying and into the ground. But then again, it didn’t take much to knock me off my feet. I sat there for a second or two before I heard a voice calling out.  
“Shit! I’m sorry here let me help-,”   
I looked up to see none other than Kevin Barr, the captain of the football team. Dream boy of the school. And, ironically, my neighbor. I looked at his outstretched hand for a moment before hesitantly putting my hand in his. It was weird, especially for Kevin, to help me up.   
“Uh, t-thank you, Kevin. Wh-what a surprise to see y-you here,” I couldn’t help but stutter as I spoke. Kevin had been a bully to me and my friends ever since I had arrived in the cul-de-sac. His constant bullying left me scared and even nervous to be around him. But over the last few years, he seemed to have matured; seemingly leaving his bullying ways behind. Heck, you could say we had developed a rocky friendship. Without Eddy around it was easier to talk to Kevin.   
“What brings you out here Kevin? Wasn’t there practice today?” I asked. I had quickly memorized the football teams practice schedule. It helped me avoid many beatings from his less friendly teammates.   
“Coach let us out early cause of the cold,” he smiled and continued to rub the back of his neck nervously. I would never admit this out loud, but Kevin always looked much more pleasant when he smiled, especially when it was a natural smile and not that fake one he would use when he was surrounded by the many girls who fawned over him.  
“Well that was most likely a smart move, the news said the temperatures were going to drop even more and even with how much you boys work I figure the cold would be bad for your health.” I smiled and chuckled softly before covering my mouth. I had always been a little self-conscious about myself and especially my smile.   
“Hey, uhh mind if I ask you something?” Kevin spoke softly, his eyes avoiding me and his right hand rubbing his left arm. He looked different when he did that. He didn't look like the type of person you would expect to be the Captain of the Football team. When I saw Kevin this way, any hint of fear that he would bully me faded.   
“Yes of course, Kevin. What is it?” I responded, wondering what he could want from me.   
“I, uhh, I’m having trouble in my calculus class and if I don’t pull up my grade the coach might suspend me from games. I know you have the same class as me so I was wondering if you could help me out.” He looked at me sheepishly. I smiled brightly and held the small package I had with me, close to my chest.   
“Of course, Kevin! I would love to help you. Calculus is one of my favorite subjects! Plus, I think it would be fun helping you.”   
“Really? Thanks, dork!” He let out a sigh of relief and smiled brightly at me. “So do you want to meet up tomorrow after school? I have no practice and can walk you home.”  
“Sounds perfect,” I smiled again then quickly covered my mouth once more as he took off for home. I watched him run down the sidewalk and felt a small ping in my chest. I was going to spend time with Kevin, my childhood bully. Was this really going to be okay?   
I looked down at the ground, my hand still cupped over my chest. It’s not like I had any problems spending time with Kevin. After all, we had just had a pleasant conversation without fists flying or yelling and screaming. But what if the other jocks found out? Would they tease Kevin for spending time with me? I mean, if they wanted him to still play, he had to keep his grades up right? Right. I shook the remaining nerves away and looked back down the sidewalk in the direction he had gone. He was no longer in sight and I couldn’t help but feel excited for tomorrow.


	3. Kevin's odd day

~=Kevin’s POV=~  
I knew I had to get away from the dork and quickly get home. Something about his stupid face made my chest tighten and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I brushed it off as I smiled to myself as I thought about what talking to Double D meant for me. If the dork could help me with this class then I would be able to play for the rest of the season.   
I made it home and opened the door, the smell of hot chocolate filled my lungs as I sighed. I walked into the kitchen where my mom was washing my dad’s mug and brewing the coco.  
“Hey, mom,” I said as I walked in, my best smile on display. She turned and shot a glance at me and smiled before setting the mug up in the cabinet and facing me completely.   
“Welcome home, Kevin. Did you have a good day at school?” She smiled softly and brightly as she always did when she was in a good mood.   
“I guess,” I shrugged. “Oh yeah, I’m having a friend over tomorrow to help me with my homework, all right?” I grabbed the mug she had out for me that was filled with hot coco. She just raised an eye brow as I walked out of the kitchen and up to my room, my dad passed out on the couch.   
I closed my door behind me as I stepped into the room. I took a seat at my desk, letting out a heavy sigh as I began to sip the hot coco mom had made. It was pretty good; wasn't the sweetest in the world, but I wasn’t going to complain. It was something warm and it tasted good. I sighed as I looked into a now empty cup. I had finished it faster than I wanted to.  
I picked up my bag and pulled out my homework. I looked at the tap in my binder marked ‘math’ and cringed. Math and I really didn’t get along. I flipped the tab, making sure I couldn’t see it anymore, and looked at the history notes that were now in front of me. I smiled at the page, history had always been one of my favorite subjects. It came easy to me. Especially memorizing all the dates. Maybe that had something to do with being a football player and having to memorize all the plays.   
The homework was all pretty much straight forward. History didn’t take very long and neither did Science. The last thing to do was English, because I sure as hell knew there was no way I would be able to work on Math without the dweeb. I couldn’t wait until tomorrow for Double D to come over to help with that cute gap-toothed smile-  
…  
Wait what?!   
Cute? Where did that come from? I shook my head hard to remove the thought from my head. It worked, to some degree. But the more I thought “is it gone” the more my brain question, “what gone? The cute thing you said about Double D?” It only caused me to shake my head even more violently until the room started to spin. Why on Earth would I say something like that?   
I needed a distraction. I needed to work on something, do something, that would distract me from such thoughts. I looked at my book. It was really the only thing left to do that could possibly distract me. I decided to take a stab at it. It became the worst five minutes of my life as I opened the book and stared at foreign symbols. Were these even numbers? I gave up and quickly put the book away. I sighed and looked at the clock. It was only 6:30, what was I going to do now? As I leaned back in my chair a new text set my phone off.   
I sighed and sat up straight, shoving my hand into my pocket to retrieve my phone. I looked at the screen to read the message I had just received from Nat. I rolled my eyes and slid my thumb across the bottom of the screen.  
-Nat- Did u ask double delish to help you out? : 3  
-Kevin- His name is Double D! And yeah I did. He’s coming over tomorrow after school   
-Nat- *gasp* omg like a date! How cute! My little Kev is growing up <3  
-Kevin- It’s not a date! He’s just coming over to help me with some homework, got it?  
-Nat- I know I know I’m just messing with you man, but seriously say hi to the cutie for me <3  
-Kevin- Yeah whatever man  
I put away my phone, not wanting to bother with it anymore. I looked at my clock to see that it was almost 7:00. Nat really seemed to take a toll on me. He was lucky he was my best friend.   
"Damn, six texts in half an hour. Guess I should take a shower."  
I got up and stretched out my back before walking to the bathroom that was—thank god—attached to my room. I turned on the water and pulled off my shirt. My skin was still a bit red from where my football gear would sit. But that was normal, especially when it began to get cold like this. I took off the rest of my clothes and got into the shower, sighing as the warm water hit me. It was warm in my house but I could still feel the chill from outside.   
I replayed today in my head. When the thought of the dork appeared in my head I couldn’t get it out. My chest filled with heat and began to spread as I could see images of that gap-toothed smile; I could hear his laugh. I tried shaking my head to get them out but to no avail.   
The hell! I am not gay and especially not for the dork!   
I sighed and rubbed the back of my head. I really wanted to just smack it into the wall, but I knew that wouldn’t do me any good. It might get me to stop thinking about the dork, but it would probably also land me in the hospital. I rotated my shoulders, they were feeling really worn out from the over work at practices. I was glad there was no practice tomorrow; give them a break.  
I picked up the bar of soap from the tray against the wall and rubbed it in my hands. I noted how small it was and noted that I should grab another before my next shower. I put the bar on my right shoulder and began to lather it with soap, pressing hard and moving in circles. The feeling made me sigh. They really were sore.   
I stood up straight under the stream of water and let it flow over my shoulders and down my chest and back. The warm water felt good on aching muscles. It wasn’t until I bent over to start scrubbing my legs that Double D crossed my mind again. I squeezed the soap in my hand a bit as I started to think back to last summer. His family had just gotten back from their annual lake trip and I was stunned to see the clean freak actually covered in mud.   
But that wasn’t all I remembered. Images of his body swayed through my mind. He wasn’t wearing a shirt that day, exposing the upper half, a side of Double D that was rarely seen by anyone. The only piece of clothing covering his body were his swim trunks. I remember looking him over from head to toe. He wasn’t bulking and muscle like I was, but he wasn’t as weak as I thought he would be either. He had some muscle definition. It would be a little hard to tell if you were standing in the wrong lighting due to how pale his skin was. But, if the sun were to hit his smooth, pale skin just right…   
My eye twitched as I squeezed the bar of soap tighter in my hand. It went flying, banging into the walls and eventually hitting me in the side. I could care less about the soap and I could care less that I was thinking about Double D. What really irked me was the fact that my left hand was curled around my length. I have been jerking off while thinking of Double D?   
The thought caused me to take a step back. I stepped on the bar of soap and lost my footing completely. I slammed back first onto the edge of the tub and felt something snap inside me. Whether it was bone or if it had something to do with what I was just thinking about I hadn’t the slightest clue. I couldn’t move. I found myself laying half in the shower and half out, staring up at the ceiling.   
Thump thump thump  
Thump thump tump  
"Kevin! You okay," my mom called from the other side of the door.  
I twisted and grabbed my side. "Gah, I think so. I'm not dead if that's anything...”  
“Are you sure? Do you need any help?”  
“Nah, I’ll be all right.”  
“Please be causeful, son. Good night, sleep well.”  
Good Night? What time was it? I kicked the shower controls to cut the water flow and hauled myself up and over the edge of the tub and onto the floor. I landed on my back, causing me to wince. How could I have been so careless as to forget I dropped soap? I rubbed my hands against my face and rolled onto my side. I arched my back a bit and stretched all the way to my toes. I could feel the pain radiating in my back and I knew I was going to have a bruise.   
I rolled back over to lay flat on my back and looked up at the ceiling. The light was bright in my eyes and I had to look away. The floor was scattered with my dirty clothes from today. I should put them in the hamper. Time. What time was it? I shifted to sit up on my elbows. My jaw dropped as I stared at something that sent both chills and confusion through my body.   
I was still hard. How could I possibly be hard after smacking my back into the side of the tub? I shook my head in disbelieve because not only was I still hard, I was wet—and not with water. I didn’t want to touch it, I didn’t even want to move. I felt disgusted with myself. Getting hard and touching myself while thinking of a guy? And this guy was a friend! How could something like this happen?   
I rubbed my hand against my face and looked down at my erection, all –  
How big was I again? I shifted and looked at it. It had to be more than seven inches in this state. The thought made the heat in my cheeks rise and I couldn’t quite figure out why.   
I groaned softly before trying to sit up, the pain in my back still radiating through my body, but I pushed through it. I need to get rid of this hard-on but how, think of something.   
“Uhh dead puppies? Birds? Nazz?”  
Oddly enough that worked. I put my hand on the sink and pulled myself up onto my feet. I looked in the mirror and stared at my face before turning around to see the damage to my back. It was already starting to become a dark shade of purple. I sighed heavily and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around me and tying it around my waist as I slowly made my way to my dresser to find some clothes for bed.   
I grabbed a white tank top and pair of boxers before slowly making my way over to my bed. I stood beside my bed and dropped the towel from my waist. I pulled my shirt over my head and then carefully bent over to slide on my boxers. I collapsed onto my stomach, pushing my face into my pillows. I groaned in pain as I looked over at the clock. 9:00! Was I really in the shower for that long? I sighed and closed my eyes, listening to the sounds coming from outside, the wind blowing, the crickets chirping…  
I yawned and slowly began to fall asleep. The last thing I can remembered before blacking out was that gap-toothed dork…


	4. Edd's brush with danger

~=Edd’s POV=~   
BEEP BEEP BEEP  
BEEP BEEP BEEP   
I awoke to the sound of my morning alarm going off loudly in my ears. I yawned and slowly rose to my feet, turning off the accursed thing which had begun to annoy me. I raised my hands above my head to stretch out my back before walking to the bathroom. I turned on the water and undressed as I let it warm up. I removed my hat last and looked in the mirror. It’s been 15 years and still no hair has grown in over that blasted scar. Mother always said it was god giving me a second chance at life and that he wasn’t ready for me to come up to heaven with him yet. I sighed to myself and stuck a hand under the shower spray to feel the water. The temperature felt good enough to step into. I stepped into the tub and let the water cascade down my shoulders and back.  
I got out about twenty minutes later, after thoroughly scrubbing my skin nearly raw to make sure no germs were left, and grabbed a towel from the stack that was kept in the bathroom cabinet. I then wrapped it around myself before walking out and into my bedroom to get dressed for school that morning.  
Oh school, one place that things always either went very well or terribly wrong. I sighed softly and went to my closet to pick out my outfit for the day. I pulled out a sensible orange sweater vest with a black short sleeved shirt for underneath with a pair of tan pants along with my black converse to finish off my attire for the day. I looked in the mirror once dressed to press out any wrinkles and smiled once I was done. I grabbed my satchel, which for some unknown reason, Eddy had always called a Man-Purse, and headed downstairs and into the kitchen.  
I opened the refrigerator and pulled out a small package of blueberries. I poured some into a bowl, washed them with some cold water, and tossed one in my mouth. The sweet yet tangy flavor covered my tongue in moments as I bit into the small fruit. Blueberries were my favorite fruit so eating them for breakfast was always a treat for me. After I had finished what was in my bowl I began working on making a ham, cheese, lettuce, and tomato sandwich for lunch. I stared at the perfectly made sandwich before me. I could feel a pout take over my face as I thought about the football team’s daily routine. I thought it best to make a second lunch. I made a second one and placed it in a plastic bag before tucking it safely away in my bag. I placed the remaining sandwich in a paper bag before turning and grabbing and apple from the fruit basket on the counter beside me. I then placed it, too, in the paper bag.   
I grabbed my keys and locked the front door as I left, only to be met with the very loud and slightly obnoxious sound of a motorbike pulling up. I paused and looked over to see none other than Kevin parked in front of my house on that black metal deathtrap. He smiled at me with his normal “bad boy, Mr. Popular” smirk.  
“Hey, Double D, want a ride,” his smirk only grew and I had a sinking feeling he knew I was terrified of the object that he was oh so fond of.  
“Oh. N-No thank you, Kevin. I promised Eddy I would walk with him and Ed today,” I replied with a shy smile, my tongue going into the gap in my teeth. It was a bad habit and a nervous one. Whenever I got nervous I tended to do this. I had tried to break myself of the habit many times but failed miserably each time. I covered my mouth to hide my smile as Kevin raised a brow before re-adjusting his helmet.  
“Whatever. Oh and don’t forget about coming over to help with my homework today. I have a test coming up and I really don’t want to fail.”   
I nodded and he pulled away, the sound of the engine lingering behind even after he had turned the corner. I sighed to myself and walked over to Eddy’s house which was not far from mine. I knocked on his door only to be pulled in like a ragdoll moments later. The action startled me and I was only startled more when a large, and not very pleasant smelling, hand covered my mouth. I squeaked in surprise and tried to push whoever was holding me off, being as weak as I was this was no easy task. The one holding me eventually let go, I turned around to scold whoever the person was only to be met with a smiling Ed. I dropped any harsh words I was about to say and sighed.  
“Ed you startled me. Please don’t do that again you nearly gave me a heart attack”  
“Sorry, Double D, but Eddy said that when you got here to pull you inside as quickly as I could and to make sure you didn’t yell otherwise the evil red-haired chin-mutant would come and eat you!” He said. Making claws with his hands and a “monster-like” posture in an effort to seem scary.  
“Well I am fine and no mutant is going to eat me. Thank you for your concern.” I knew that Ed only had the best intentions, even if his mind was a little warped from all of the sci-fi movies and comics he liked. I sighed to myself and walked further into the house to try to find Eddy who was sitting on the couch watching TV. I cleared my throat in order to get his attention, causing him to look away from the obviously very un-educational show he had been watching and look up at me.  
“There you are sock head! We’ve been waiting on ya’ for a while now. What took so long,” he asked, trying to sound a bit upset but failing.  
“I’m sorry, Eddy. I had to clear up a few things before leaving my house,” I spoke, not bothering to mention my meeting with Kevin. I knew it would only anger Eddy as he and Kevin could not get along even if their lives depended on it. He glared at me for a moment before shrugging it off and walking to the door with his backpack, passing Ed as he did so.  
“Come on, I don’t want to be late and get my ass kicked again” Eddy said as he began to walk down the street, not bothering to lock the door behind him after Ed and I had walked out.   
We talked about random topics as we made the long walk to the school. Upon arriving, we all went our separate ways and I headed for my locker to exchange the books that I would need for my first class. Just as I placed the last unneeded book into its place within my locker I heard heavy footsteps moving down the hallway in my direction, causing me to freeze in fear. I recognized the footsteps as those of some of the members of the football team. I closed my locker and closed my eyes, turned away from them and began to walk towards my first class. I prayed silently to myself they would not try to pick a fight with me this morning. The attempt proved to be futile as I heard a loud shout from behind me.   
“HEY DORK!”   
I recognized the voice as John Torrance, a very large and strong individual. I continued walking in an attempt to show no fear. Big mistake. He grabbed my shoulder harshly and shoved me against the lockers, his other large friends—whom I recognized as Butch Johnson and Keith Smith—stood behind him with their arms crossed. I knew trying to escape would only make matters worse. How had I managed to get caught up in this situation first thing in the morning? Well, that seemed like a rather silly question. I knew when they’re football practices were, not their exact locations of every second of every day. It was pointless to try and think that I could go a day without having them in my face.   
The thought caused me to sigh as I looked up at Torrance. He was smirking, probably proud at himself for the fact that he got to be the first jock of the day to catch me. I really wanted to roll my eyes but I knew that would get me a fist to the gut, something I really wasn’t in the mood for. Plus I didn’t have the strength or the courage to try and roll my eyes. I could feel my knees begin to shake a bit as he stared down at me.   
“Greetings, gentleman. What can I do for you?” I asked gently, trying not to anger them. Why were they so angry this early in the morning? As I thought of a few quick possibilities, Torrance’s expression turned from that of enjoying his capture to one of a dark, and unsettling glare.  
“We saw you talking to the captain the other day. The hell did you want from him?” If I didn’t know any better I could swear I heard the metal crunch from the looker behind me as Torrance leaned closer to me.   
He was obviously referring to my run in with Kevin outside the bakery yesterday after school. I hadn’t realized that any of the other jocks were around. All of my attention had been on Kevin. Curse my self-defenses dropping so easily!  
“Oh m-my apologies. H-he was s-simply asking for s-someone to d-do his homework a-and of course I-I agreed.” I mentally cursed myself for stuttering but hoped that my explanation, which wasn’t a total lie, would appease their anger.   
“Whatever, dork,” he rolled his eyes and stood up a little straighter, seemingly accepting my some-what lie. “Just don’t let me catch you hanging around him. We don’t need a fag like you messing with his head.”   
He shoved me once against the locker before walking away with his friends. I took a much needed breath before looking down at my disheveled clothing. Straightening out my shirt and vest, I bent over and picked up my satchel that had slid from my shoulders before walking to my first class of the day. It was earlier than normal but I knew I would be of some help due to Mrs. Thompson’s disorganization. After helping her put all of her materials for the day in the proper place I walked out into the hall as she walked off towards the office. I waited by the door to the classroom for her to return. I stared down at the ground in front of me, my hands behind my back and I leaned against the wall beside the door. I jumped at the sight of two sneakers squeaking against the floor in front of me. I looked up to see who it was in hopes it was Ed or Eddy only to be met with some all too familiar bright red hair


	5. Kevin's protection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry its short but ideas were not flowing as well when i wrote this part...

~=Kevin’s POV =~  
My eyes caught a glimpse of the all too familiar beanie wearing boy leaning against the wall outside of Mrs. Thompson’s room. I noted the fact that the must be his first period of the day. I shoved my hands in my pockets and looked around for a moment, seeing if any of my teammates were in the hall. When I believed the coast was clear I casually made my way towards him. The moment his heard jerked upwards to look at my face, I couldn’t help but note the pure fear that was in his eyes. The first thought that came to my mind was ‘what did they do now.’  
“Hey, dork, what’s up?” I tried to smile and seem like I didn’t notice anything. It was pretty obvious, though, that something or someone had said something to him that made him have that kind of expression; an expression of fear. It was just me. There was no reason to be afraid. Not like I was going to pound him or anything. He looked up at me and tried to hide the fear that was in his eyes.  
“Greetings, Kevin. How are you this morning?” He smiled softly, trying to be courteous but I could tell it was taking all of his strength not to run away from me right now. I sighed softly, I wanted to know what the hell was up.  
I rubbed the back of my head, “ok, dork, spill it.” He jumped a bit at my words. “I can see that you are fucking terrified of me right now and I know I haven’t done anything. So what gives?”  
He just stared at me with a blank stare. My guess was he was confused with the sudden change in my attitude. I couldn’t help it. It was gnawing at me as to who would have the guts to fuck with him so early in the morning. I wanted to know, and I wanted to know now.  
“First of all, that kind of language is not allowed on school grounds Kevin,” he said, obvious sass in his voice as he crossed his arms over his chest and turned his face away from me. “And second, I don’t know what on Earth you are talking about.”  
I felt my eye twitch as I looked at him. He wasn’t looking at me and it was very obvious that he was trying to hid something. He really wasn’t going to tell me what was scaring him. I quickly glanced up and down the hall to make sure no teammates—or anyone else who would annoy me with hanging out with the dork—was around. There was no one in the hall. My guess was they were all outside or hanging out in another part of the school. I took the opportunity to place my hands on the wall, one on either side of his head, trapping him in his place. My eyes flickered to the dark reddish hue that ignited within his cheeks. I jerked my head away and ignored the small spark of heat that ignited within my chest.  
“Don’t lie to me, dork,” he jumped at the sound of my voice. Even I jumped a little at the sound of my own voice. It had dropped an octave and was low as I continued. “It’s very easy for me to tell that someone, or something, or someone did something to make you afraid. Afraid of me? Didn’t we just have a pleasant conversation yesterday? I want to know who, and I want to know no, Double D. Why are acting so afraid of me?” I looked deep into his eyes as he stood frozen, the spark in my chest growing hotter the more I looked into those icy blue orbs. He stared back into my emerald green ones as his face flushed a deeper shade of red.


	6. Edd's confusion.

~=Edd’s POV=~  
My face burned red when Kevin trapped me against the wall with his arms. I should have known better than to lie to Kevin! He could always see right through my lies! I should have lied and then run while I had the chance. Or at least slip into the classroom and away from his emerald gaze.   
“I-im s-sorry, Kevin. I-t’s nothing you need worry about,” I had had to look away from his eyes. The heat radiating from his stare took my breath away and made my heart pound beneath my chest. Why was I reacting this way? Was there a possibility that I…   
No, that’s preposterous! He’s a male and so am I. Something like that wouldn’t work. I tried to escape the trap his arms had made only to be met with Kevin grabbing my arm and pinning me to the wall again.   
“I’m going to ask again, dweeb. What happened?” The tone in Kevin’s voice told me that he was serious. He probably wasn’t going to let me go until I told him what was going on.   
I sighed softly, knowing I had been utterly defeated but Kevin’s perseverance. “A few of your team-mates had been…less than kind to me just a few moments ago…” I shifted uncomfortably against the wall and rubbed my arm, dragging my eyes from Kevin’s face to his stomach. I began to explain what his friends had told me. I avoided mentioning the less than friendly words they had used when telling me these things.   
Kevin’s arms drooped a bit as he listened to me speak. I hoped he was believing everything I was telling him. After all, I had no reason to lie to him now. He would only be able to catch that it was a lie anyway. There was still one thing I knew I hadn’t told Kevin, and somewhere deep in my stomach I had a feeling he knew I was leaving something out. But the thing I left out, was the worst out of all of it. I really didn’t want to repeat it.   
“Okay,” he said with a small sigh. “I can tell that you aren’t lying. But there is something that you aren’t telling me. I’m not going to hurt you, just tell me.”   
I could tell that he was positively furious that his own team mates had messed with me but he was trying very hard to stay calm so not to scare me. I whispered the term they had used but Kevin hadn’t heard me.   
“Say it loud enough that I can hear you, dork.”   
I cringed at the tone of his voice. He was getting frustrated with me and I really couldn’t blame him. But I knew that if I wanted Kevin to still be my friend and not turn on me like the other, I had to say it so he could hear me.   
“Th-they called me a fag,” I spoke softly still but seeing his reaction I could tell that he heard me this time.  
“Who,” shot out of his mouth.   
“I-it doesn’t matter, Kev-”  
“Tell me now,” he was practically shouting at me.   
My hands curled into fists above my chest and my eyes squeezed shut.   
“Torrance, Johnson, and Smith,” I hollered back. I didn’t mean to raise my voice. I had a feeling it was due to the overwhelming nerves that took over my entire body.   
“I’m going to take care of them, don’t you worry,” Kevin said the words through grinding teeth. Before I knew it he had pushed away from me and the wall and was headed off towards the athletics center.   
I ran after him as fast as my legs would carry me. “K-Kevin there is no need to do that!”  
He ignored me and continued to march towards the locker rooms where the team was most likely messing around and talking. He nearly kicked down the door as he stormed in, I hesitated for a moment in front of the door. I had never been inside the locker room before, let alone in a room where all the jocks were. But I shook my head and followed close behind.   
Kevin made his way towards the middle of the locker room and jumped onto one of the benches in the middle of the aisle. The locker room quieted a little as he looked around the room. He was most likely looking for the three who had cornered me in the hall. I thought I saw his eye twitch when the noise level started to pick up once again.   
“Hey,” he shouted, dragging everyone’s attention towards him. I was amazed at how well he could gain control of an entire room. Well, being captain of the football team gave you quite a bit of respect and leadership. I felt uneasy as a few sets of eyes fell on me before looking back up to Kevin.   
“Who ever is fucking with Double Dork better leave him the fuck alone,” I could hear murmurs as he spoke. “As of right now, he is off limits!”  
There was laughter from different areas off the locker room, along with some confused grumbles and stares. I could feel all eyes on me at one point before someone I couldn’t see shouted towards Kevin. He demanded to know why Kevin was defending the likes of me. I had to agree. Kevin had never really done anything to ensure my safety. He was always the first to agree that the ‘dorks needs a poundin’’. There was a loud ‘yeah’ that came from the rest of the group before it fell silent again.  
Kevin sighed and rubbed the back of his head. He slid his other hand into his pocket. “Look, I’m not defending him. As of right now, if I don’t get my calculus grade up I’m going to get kicked off the team. And I don’t really think any of you want that. So the dork is doing me a favor by helping me with the dumb shit so I don’t fucking fail, all right?”  
A few of the members looked down in shame while a few others, I recognized John, glared at me with a look that could kill. I averted my eyes quickly and looked back up to Kevin who seemed to be glaring down said person. I shifted to stand closer to Kevin, moving me out of the direct line of John’s vision.   
“That’s what I thought. Now, if I catch any of you messing with him I will make sure that your ass is on the bench for as long as it takes to get through your heads to leave him be. Is that understood?” It was quiet in the locker room as guys just nodded and mumbled under the breaths. This obviously wasn’t good enough for Kevin. He raised his voice and I jumped as he hollered, “I said, is that understood?”.  
“Yes Captain,” they all screamed back in unison.   
“Good,” Kevin said, hopping down from the bench. “Now get your asses to class!”   
They grumbled and glared in my direction as they picked up their bags and headed for the door that led into the school hall. The locker room fell quiet and I could tell Kevin was still fuming at the whole matter. I really couldn’t comprehend any of this.   
“Kevin that was highly unnecessary,” I said, hoping to try and distracted him from his heating thoughts.   
Suddenly my back was against a lock, Kevin’s hands squeezing tight to my arms. He wasn’t looking at me but instead staring at the ground by my feet. He was silent for another minute, his grip on my arms tightening, causing me to tug at them. When his eyes finally met mine I could feel the temperature in my cheeks rising.   
“I don’t want any of them messing with you. If they do, I want you to tell me right away so that I can take care of it, all right?” His voice was low and husky, much more so than usual. This caused a heat to build up in my chest and stomach. I nodded hesitantly and he backed off slowly.   
“Sorry about that dork,” he was quiet for a moment as he looked at me. “I-I have to go! Get to class.” He took off in a dead sprint leaving me standing there blushing like an idiot. I smacked my cheeks as I heard the door to the locker room slam shut.   
I scurried off to my first period class to hopefully take my mind off of the events that had happened. School passed by much too slowly for my liking and when it finally became time for lunch I had some kind of fluttering feeling in my stomach. As I walked into the large hall I slammed into someone and lost my footing. I looked up and saw some terribly familiar teal hair. Nathan Goldberg, a member of the football team, as well as Kevin’s best friend.   
He smiled at me and stretched out his hand to help me up. “Sorry about that, cutie. Didn’t see you there. I’m Nat. What’s your name?”   
My face flushed red once again when I heard him call me that little nickname. “Eddward, with two D’s. Most people call me Double D though.” I smiled politely, thanking the heavens that he was polite, unlike many of the other members of the team.   
“More like double delish,” he flashed me a smirk, causing my cheeks to flare up further. He smiled and wrapped an arm around my shoulder and began to walk me towards a table that Kevin, Nazz, and many of the other football team were sitting at. “Come sit with me, cutie.”   
I shyly followed him, not wanting to look up at anyone else at the table. Kevin looked at Nat with an odd look but his cheeks seemed to be a light pink color as he looked at me, causing my cheeks to flare up even further.


	7. Kevin's thoughts

~=Kevin’s POV=~  
My eyes widened as I looked over at Nat who had his arms around the Dork. A spike of jealousy rose within me.   
Wait what?!   
Why am I jealous of Nat holding the dork like that? It’s not like I like him or anything!  
“Or do you,” my mind questioned teasingly.   
The fuck? Hell no! I am not gay!   
“Or are you,” my mind teased even more.   
I battled with myself for a few minutes before they sat down, snapping me out of my thoughts. The dorks eyes met mine the moment he sat down right across from me. He directed his gaze downwards at the paper bag he had set on the table. It wasn’t until I heard James Thomason on my left complaining that I managed to take my eyes from him.   
“The hell man,” he was glaring at me before turning his eyes towards Double D. “We can’t fuck with the nerd but yet he can sit with us?”   
“Shut it, James,” Nat snapped. “This cutie has as much right to be here as you. So hush up and mind your own business.”   
James opened his mouth before quickly shutting it. He turned his attention to look at the guys on the other side of him. Nat’s expression drastically changed as he looked at the dork, a huge smile crossing his face. Thank god they respected Nat just as much as they respected me, otherwise I would have had to step in again and that would not have been pretty.   
I tried to relax and focus on something that wasn’t the person in front of me. But it didn’t matter. I was constantly catching myself staring at the dork. His eyes met mine and I felt something in my chest stop. Oh, that was my heart. I pulled my eyes away from him to look at Nazz. To be honest, this entire situation was weirding me out. Maybe I should talk to Nazz later, she may know what the fuck is going on.   
She looked over at me and I whispered to her. “Meet me in the library for study hall. I need to talk to you about something. Away from people.” She smiled and nodded silently.   
Lunch ended fairly quickly and Nazz and I walked off to the library after saying goodbye to the team. Double Dork had already excused himself to go to class, giving some lame excuse of forgotten homework, which both Nazz and I knew was bullshit. We made it to the library just as the bell rung and headed to the very back where no one was sitting.   
“All right, Kev, spill it. I want every detail.” Nazz smiled, knowing something was up the moment I asked her to meet me here. Whenever I asked for a study hall get together to talk about something, it was usually something pretty deep.   
I sighed softly and rubbed the back of my neck, “okay so lately I’ve been having trouble focusing and whenever I get near…someone…my face heats up and I feel like my chest and stomach going nuts!”   
I watched as her eyes lit up brightly and she seemed to be very excited about what I just told her. “Dude, you are totally in love with someone! Omg, who is it? Is it Kaila? Jessica?”   
I stared at her for a moment, “did you just say ‘totally in love with’?”  
She nodded. “Well think about it. You’ve dated people in the past right? But your relationships never lasted that long with any of them. My guess was you didn’t feel the way you do now when you were with any of them, did you?”  
I shook my head, “no…”  
Nazz’s smile grew, “that’s because right now, the person who is bugging you, is the only person you see and are thinking about. I bet they are on your mind all the time recently, huh? It’s because you love someone, dude.”  
I stared at her. “That’s no possible!”  
I heard a hush come from somewhere behind me and I had to remind myself we were in the library. I shook my head and rubbed my face as I quickly thought about the possibility of it being true. Something inside me snapped and my head slammed into the table. Another hush came from somewhere behind me but I ignored them. This couldn’t possibly be true!   
“Why do you say that,” Nazz asked, seemingly unfazed by my actions.   
I turned my face to my cheek rested on the table and sighed “the dork…”   
She looked at me in shock for about a minute. I thought she was going to have a heart attack with the way she seemed to space out. Maybe her heart had really stopped and she was never going to speak to me again.   
Her hands curled into fists and her face got an expression that told me she was unbelievably happy. She looked like she was shaking with excitement and I could have sworn her eyes turned into a heart shape. I could tell she wanted to scream or something. But when she glanced around the room she must have remembered we were in the library and managed to hold it in.   
“Dude, that is the cutest thing ever!” She spoke quietly, but it was still a little louder than I was comfortable with when it came to this subject. My hands darted across the table to cover her mouth before she had a chance to say something else  
“Be quiet, Nazz,” I harshly whispered back at her. “I don’t want anyone finding out about this, all right?”   
She nodded and I removed my hands from her mouth. She giggled softly and looked at me. “Dude, that’s awesome.”  
I leaned back in my chair and rubbed the back of my neck, “no it’s not. It’s probably not even real. I just asked him for help with Math the other day and I keep thinking about him.”  
Nazz smirked, “love.”  
I sat up straight and opened my mouth to yell back at her. I caught a glimpse of the bookshelves behind her and glared at them, closing my mouth. I looked at her, her smirk still stretched across her face. “No.”  
“Think about it. Well, seems like you already have been.”  
I sighed and rubbed my face, “I even thought about him in the fucking shower.”  
Nazz’s expression changed in an instant. She looked completely, and utterly shocked. “In the shower?” She paused for a moment before her smirk returned, “you didn’t jerk off did you?”  
I screamed and hushes came from all over the library. They must not have gotten through to Nazz because she broke out in a laugh. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and looked at me with an expression that asked if it was really true. I had to look away from her. I could feel the temperature in my cheeks rising. She just had to go there didn’t she?   
“Anyway,” I spat, causing her to sit up straight and rub the tears from her face. “Let’s say I did have feelings for the dork. What am I even supposed to do? I mean there is no way in hell the team is going to let me live this one down if they find out I’m into a dude. Especially the dork. Plus they’ll just continue to beat the shit out of him. They already threatened him this morning because he was only talking to me yesterday. Could you imagine what they would do if they found out he was dating me?”   
She put her hand on my hand that rested on the table and smiled, “don’t worry man. It’s not going to be that bad. Remember how people reacted when I came out with dating Marie? Yeah, some people are going be dicks and leave but that will just show you who your true friends are.” She smiled softly and her words allowed me to relax a bit.   
“Thanks, Nazz. So what should I do? Should I tell him or just wait or what?”   
“And besides,” she leaned back in her chair and smiled sweetly at me, “I have a pretty good feeling Double D has those same feelings.”  
I felt as if I was in a daze as I made my way out of the library and down the hall towards the back lot. The bell rang and school was finally out as kids started to pour into the hall. I ignored them all. I couldn’t stop staring at the ground in front of me as my legs refused to carry me any faster towards the back of school. I got shoved as someone ran past me out the door and into the lot.   
I made my way down the couple of stairs and walked to my bike. I stared at it for a moment. I really couldn’t understand what was going on. Ever since my talk with Nazz I had fallen into some kind of trance. All I could think about was the possibility that I could really have feelings for the one I called Double Dork. His face was constantly flashing through my head and I couldn’t get it to leave no matter how hard I tried.   
The wind blew hard against my body as I drove down the street headed for home. My bike roared beneath me but even it was no match to distract me from the thoughts that were swirling around in my mind. No matter how hard I tried to focus on something other than the dweeb, I couldn’t. Several times I forced Double D out of my head to come back to the world of the living only to be honked at as I swerved into the oncoming land and even towards the sidewalk. I really needed to be able to focus on driving. It was just so damn frustrating that I could possibly have feelings for the nerd. He was weak and a brainiac; he was always shaking and timid; he didn’t know how to stick up for himself; he was always hanging around Eddy. The list went on and on as to why I shouldn’t like someone like him.   
But as his gapped tooth face showed up crystal clear in my mind, my heart began to pound harder beneath my breast. There was just something about him, I really couldn’t explain it, which caused my chest to feel this way. And if I was being honest with myself, I was starting to like it.   
I pulled my bike into the garage and sat for several minutes pondering what would happen if I did ask the Dweeb out. Nazz had mentioned she believed that he thought the same thing I did. So, would he accept my feelings? If I even really had feelings. How was I to know that this wasn’t just some trick of the heart, or the mind for that matter? Maybe that was it. Maybe when I got sacked during our last game it rattled my brains to the point where I was starting to think of the dork as a love interest. That had to be it.   
I walked through the door that allowed entrance to both the garage and the hall beside the kitchen. My mom stood up straight from the sink and looked down the hall towards me. She smiled before turning back to the dishes in front of her.   
“Are you hungry, sweetheart,” she asked as I walked towards the kitchen table. “Dinner will be ready in a couple of hours so if you snack, eat lightly.”  
I plopped down in my chair with a heavy sigh and rubbed the back of my head. “I’m not hungry.”  
The water turned off and I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder at my mom. She eyed me for a moment. “So, when will your friend be coming over? Will he be staying for dinner?”  
“Huh?” I tilted my head and looked her. She could obviously tell that I was confused by her question. She only rolled her eyes and dried her hands on a towel before turning to face me again. She raised her eyebrows, as if waiting for my response. But to be honest, I had no idea what she-  
“Edd,” I smacked myself in the face. “Shit, I completely forgot.”  
“Watch your language, young man,” she barked at me.   
“Sorry, mom. I completely forgot. I’ll have to call him in a bit.” I eyed a clock. “He should be home in a few minutes. When I hear Eddy making a ruckus I’ll know he’s home.”  
“Oh,” my mom smiled, “he is from the cul-de-sac?”  
I nodded and got to my feet. “The brainiac who lives across the way.”  
Before she had time to respond I was throwing the strap of my bag onto my shoulder and making my way out of the kitchen and up the stairs. I made my way down the upper level hall to my room. I set my bag on the floor beside my bed before plopping down on it and closing my eyes. I would be able to hear anything and everything from this spot.   
“Don’t forget our plans for tomorrow,” Eddy screamed outside several minutes later.  
He was probably screaming across the way to double dweeb. I rubbed my face and pulled my phone from my pocket. Now was a good a time as any to give him a call. Since everyone in the cul-de-sac knew each other, the parents had decided long ago that they were all going to trade house numbers. That was the only reason I had his. I dialed his number and listened to the tone as it rang.


	8. Edd's homework and dinner

~=Edd’s POV=~  
I had just walked in the door when the phone started to ring. I quickly made my way to it and answered it. I quickly noted that the stuttering voice on the other end of the line belonged to Kevin. He apologized for forgetting that we were going to get together to study. I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped me. For some reason, my heart began to beat faster.   
“So, uh, what time do you want to come over,” he asked. He sounded nervous and I couldn’t help but smile. A nervous Kevin?  
“I can come over now if that is convenient for you, Kevin,” something in my stomach fluttered as I said his name.   
“Then I’ll see you in a few.”  
“Be sure to have your math out so that we can start right when I get there. No time to mess around. You want to pass, don’t you?”  
He sighed. “Yeah, yeah I got it.”  
“Good bye, Kevin. See you in a few.”  
“Yeah, bye Double D.”  
I put the phone in the holder and picked my satchel back up off the ground. I tilted my head for a moment, trying to remember if I still had the math notes from the last chapter in my binder. I nodded. Of course they were there! Why would I have taken them out? I couldn’t help but smile at myself and shake my head a bit. I took a deep breath a let it out slowly. I was going to Kevin’s.   
I stood in front of Kevin’s front door adjusted my clothing so that I looked presentable before knocking on the door. I was greeted by a tall, bright orange haired, woman who smiled at me the moment she saw me. Mrs. Barr, one of the nicest adults on the street. She was always baking and checking in on everyone. She was like the cul-de-sac mom, everyone seemed to go to her for everything.   
“Salutations, Mrs. Barr. How are you this afternoon,” I smiled at her and her smile only grew.   
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Eddward. How is your mother?”   
I felt a stab in my chest as I thought about my mother. It was rare for me to see her, or even father for that matter. For nearly three years I had lived alone in that giant house that echoed every time I did something. It felt empty. Even though I was able to talk to them from time to time, it was rather difficult due to their busy work schedules.   
I shifted a bit and rubbed my arm. “I haven’t talked to mother recently. The last I talked to her she said that both she and father were doing well.”  
Her face took on one of a broken heart as she stared down at me. I smiled at her and ensured her that it was all right and that I was used to them being far away. She only said ‘okay’ before stepping aside and letting me into the house. It had been a while since I had last been in Kevin’s house. I think the last time was when his mother invited all of the cul-de-sac kids over for his birthday. That was a few years ago.   
“It’s been a while since you have been here,” she said, closing the door behind us and making her way towards the stairs.   
I followed her, “yes I was just thinking the same thing. It was for Kevin’s birthday a few years ago.”  
She laughed, “yes that’s right. Oh you were all so cute.”  
I smiled, “thank you for allowing me back into your home Mrs. Barr.”  
“Any time, Eddward. You are always welcome here.” She knocked on the door she stood in front of and announced to Kevin that I had arrived. I could hear Kevin on the other side of the door telling me to come in.   
Mrs. Barr left me with a smile and headed back down the stairs, leaving me standing in front of Kevin’s door—alone. Suddenly something in my stomach twisted and in the back of my mind I could hear something telling me this was a bad idea. But I quickly shut the door on it’s toes. This was just Kevin. We had had a nice conversation the other day. And today at school—  
I stopped myself from thinking about it yet again. It only made my body heat more. Something I really didn’t need right now. I had to focus on being about to help Kevin with his math. As I reached for the door know the door swung open. Kevin stood on the other side, shirtless. Our eyes met and something weird happened. We were both blushing.   
Kevin tore his gaze from mine and rubbed the back of his head, “c-come in.”  
“T-thank you,” I walked past him and into his room.   
He closed the door behind him and walked over to his desk where he had his homework out. It looked like he had attempted to work on it. I looked around and noticed his room was an absolute mess, my fingers itched to clean it but I tried to not think about that. I had come here to help him with his homework.  
I walked over to stand behind his chair where he had made himself comfortable. He looked over his shoulder at me before pointing at the very first problem. I chuckled at bit and sat in the chair beside his. I pulled out my binder from my satchel and flipped the section about Math. He eyed my noted before looking at his own.   
“You take such better notes than I do,” he said, pulling my binder in front of him.   
I chuckled, “I just make sure that I don’t leave anything important out.”  
“Take notes for me too,” he laughed and I laughed with him.   
“I would be more than happy to copy my notes for you, Kevin. If it would really help you.”  
He looked at me a little surprised. “You serious?”  
I nodded, “but you still have to take your own notes. Maybe with time you’ll start to think of what my notes look like and start writing your own like that.”  
He rolled his eyes, “all right. But only if you will really copy your notes for me.”  
I nodded, “of course, Kevin. So what do you not understand?”  
“I don’t know,” he sounded aggravated.   
I pulled his homework in front of me and grabbed a red pen from the pencil case I had. I looked over the problems he had attempted to do and started circling any mistakes I saw. When I handed the papers back to him he seemed to stare at them in disbelief.   
“I really got that much wrong?”  
I nodded, “but don’t be discouraged. They really are easy to fix mistakes. Like here,” I pointed to the paper with my pen, you multiplied here where you should have added then divided the sum.”   
He looked from his paper to the book before a little light seemed to click in his head as he began to re-work the problem. He looked at the paper before looking back at me. I smiled and nodded. He seemed relieved that he had gotten at least one question right. He grabbed a clean sheet of paper and rewrote the problem.   
“It might also be easier to rewrite the whole problem before you start. That way you can start to think of what you need to do to get to your answer.”  
He seemed to pout at that but he wrote down the next problem on his new piece of paper. He stumbled and glanced at my notes and then at me. I couldn’t help but smile as I tried to explain why you do this instead of that in order to get your answer. He questioned me; wanting to know why you couldn’t do it the way he was trying to. It was an easy explanation and he seemed to understand the moment the words left my mouth. He rubbed his face and attempted the next problem on his own. Stumbling only a bit before catching his own mistake and fixing it.  
I stayed quiet for the most part, watching him focus intently on his math. He rubbed his face constantly as he seemed to have issues with some of the formulas. It wasn’t his fault. Some of the formulas were very similar and could be very confusing to someone who didn’t completely understand what they were doing.   
Since he seemed dedicated to what he was doing and had stopped asking so many questions, I grabbed my own homework and started working on it as well. There wasn’t much left for me to finish, seeing as how I had already done most of it in class. He looked over at my paper and I was quick to pull it away, telling him to get his own answers and not to cheat. He smiled and turned his attention back to his own papers.   
After what seemed like hours, Kevin sat up straight and stretched. “Wow dork, you make this seem so easy. When the teacher tries to explain it I don’t understand any of it.”   
I smiled as the little spark in my chest ignited again and I felt my cheeks heat up a bit. I covered my mouth to hide the gap in my teeth before speaking again. “Well thank you, Kevin. I take pride in being able to understand and help others with the wonder of learning.”   
I looked over at the clock and noticed it was nearly five o’clock. “Oh my, it’s getting late. I should be getting home.”   
Just as I started packing up my things Kevin’s bedroom door swung open as Mrs. Barr walked into the room. “Why don’t you stay for dinner Eddward?”   
I got up from my seat and so did Kevin. “I couldn’t possibly-”  
“Well then,” Mrs. Barr said with a smirk. “It’s not an invitation anymore, it’s an order. You will stay for dinner!”  
Kevin smiled behind me and put a hand on my shoulder, making me jump slightly. “Yeah dork, mom makes the most amazing spaghetti!”   
I looked at him and back to his mother before sighing softly. “Thank you for having me.”  
“Wonderful, it is on the table. Oh and don’t mind Kevin’s father he’s a bit of a handful sometimes.”   
“Mom,” Kevin groaned as he walked past me and out his door, motioning for me to follow him. I couldn’t help the smile that took over my face as I followed him out the door and down the stairs.   
I could hear Kevin’s mom laughing as we made our way into the dining room. She was wrapped in the arms of Mr. Barr and I couldn’t help but smile at them. They still looked as in love as could be. Mr. Barr stopped his making his kissy faces at Mrs. Barr just long enough to look me over from head to toe.   
He took the opportunity to kiss his wife on the check, causing her to giggle. “I see we have a guest tonight.”   
“Yes,” she said, pulling herself from his arms to take her seat at the table. “You remember Eddward Vincent from across the street don’t you?”  
He smiled and laughed loudly, his laugh bellowing through the room as he slapped my back a little bit hard. “You’re the little genius boy from across the street. It’s good to see you again Eddward! I’m glad you are joining us for dinner. My wife makes the most delicious food ever.”   
“So I have been told,” I smiled as I looked from him to Kevin.   
Kevin motioned to the seat beside him, as if telling me to sit. I nodded and sat in the chair. I waited for everyone else to take their servings before taking some of my own. I looked from my plate to Kevin and noted his hearty appetite as his mound of spaghetti made a dome shape.   
“Boy,” Kevin’s father called from across the table, pointing his fork in my direction. “No wonder you are skin and bones, you eat like a bird. Kevin fill his plate up. He needs to put some meat on his bones.”   
“T-that’s not necessary,” I tried to say but it seemed pointless as Kevin poured a bit more noodles on my plate. I stared at my plate for a moment before Kevin gently tapped me on the arm and held his hand out for mine. I felt my cheeks heat as I looked from his hand to his face. He took my hand in his and motioned for me to look on the other side of me.   
“Oh,” I thought to myself. “Grace.”  
I put my hand in his mother’s and bowed my head as she began to say grace. After she had finished we all began to eat. I took my first bite and sighed a pleasing sight. The pasta was cooked to perfection and the sauce was the perfect mix between sweet and spice. And to make it even better, the basil tasted fresh!  
“This is delicious Mrs. Barr.” I smiled to her and she smiled back.   
“Why thank you, Eddward.”   
I smiled and continued eating, noticing that both Kevin and his father were eating large amounts at a time, I can see where he got his eating habits from. After dinner I gathered my things and thanked them once again before heading back across the street to home. It was only eight now. I hadn’t realized I had spent so much time sitting around the dinner table talking and laughing with everyone. I headed up the stairs towards the bathroom where I decided to shower before getting cozy in my pajamas.   
Tonight was a really good night. It helped me relax and take my mind off something that wasn’t bullies. I sighed as I crawled into bed and stared at my window. They were a really nice family; loving and supportive of one another. It made the house I was in seem all the more empty.   
I rolled over and curled up under my blankets as I thought about tomorrow. I had no idea what I would be in for the next morning when I reached school.


End file.
